Mail-handling apparatus.



W. H. EARGRAVES & M. M. MILLER. MAIL HANDLING APPARATUS. I APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1910. 957,3

Patent ed May 10, 1910.

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WITNESSES.

ATTORNEYS ANDREW & GRAHAM c0 Pnow-umoennpnzas. WASHINGTON, u. a

W. H. HARGRAVBS & M. M. MILLER. MAIL HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24. 1910. j

- Patented May 10,1910.

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ATTORNEYS ANDREW a (:Rmmm C fPHOTQLIYNQGRAPNZRS WASHINGTON. 0.0

W. H. .HARGRAVES & M. M. MILLER.

MAIL HANDLING APPARATUS. APPLICATION riLsD mm. 24, 1910.

Patented May 10, 1910.

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WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS ANDREW u GRAN/W! 0.. PHDlO-UTHOGRAFHERS, wasnmcwn. 0.6

tlhllllihlfi %TATE% ATENT FllC.

WILLIAM H. HARG-RAVES AND MILO M. MILLER, 01? ALLEN'IOWN, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNOBS 0F ONE-THIRD T O CHARLES VANIA.

M. W. KECK, OF ALLENTOWN, PENNSYL MAIL-HANDLING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 10, 1910.

Application filed February 24, 1910. Serial No. 545,669.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, lVILLIAM H. HAR- GRAVES and MrLo M. MILLER, citizens of the United States, and both residents of Allentown, in the county of Lehigh and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Mail-Handling Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to mail handling apparatus, and has reference more particularly to apparatus of this class which is used with mail or other railroad cars, for receiving and delivering mail bags and like packages, which comprises similar means for receiving and delivering the bags, the means being adapted to be removably associated with the car and with a support arranged adjacent to the track, and in which the bags are held in movably mounted cradles or carriers adapted to swing, when the bag is being removed therefrom, toward the direction in which the train is moving.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient mail handling appara tus, by means of which mail bags can be delivered to and received from rapidly moving trains traveling in either direction along a railroad track, in which the parts are interchangeable, by means of which mail bags are securely held in position after being received and delivered, the receiving and delivering means being suitably cushioned to reduce to a minimum the shock of operation, and in which is obviated the danger of the bags being drawn under the train, and destroyed or injured thereby.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the class described, which is arranged adjacent to the track, in a suitable casing which guards the apparatus against the action of the weather and against unauthorized manipulation, which is so constructed that excessive wear of the mail bag and the apparatus itself is obvi ated, and in which the cradles used for holding the bags, to enable them to be delivered, are arranged to swing, and have associated therewith means for resiliently holding them in inoperative positions.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is tobe had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a railroad car having an embodiment of our invention applied thereto, and illustrating also, the form of the device mounted adjacent to the railroad track; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device mounted adjacent to the track, showing the casing open, and having a part broken away; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the device shown in Fig. 2, showing the casing open; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 8, showing the casing closed; Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the device used adjacent to the track; Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing part of the de vice which is mounted in the doorway of the railroad car; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a part of the device used adjacent to the track; Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a part of the cradle used for positioning the bag; and Fig. 9 is a transverse section showing the device for holding the cradle resiliently against movement. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the mail-bag receiver proper.

Before proceeding to a more detailed explanation of our invention, it should be clearly understood that the present form of the device embodies improvements over the mail handling apparatus shown in the United States Patent Number 902,986, issued to Milo M. Miller and George S. Steinberger, dated November 3, 1908, and the patent application for mail handling apparatus, filed by Milo M. Miller, George S. Steinberger and lVilliam H. Hargraves, in the United States Patent Ofiice, October 30, 1909, under Serial No. 525,574l. Vile have found that it is preferable to mount the cradle for holding the mail bags, to swing, and we have also found it expedient to alter the form of the cradle, as will appear more clearly hereinafter. In addition, the mail bag holding and catching arm is provided in the present device, with a special form of lender or spring, to absorb the shock incident to the receiving of the mail bag. In the present form of the apparatus mounted adjacent to the railroad track, we prefer, as shown herewith, to employ a protective casing to guard the apparatus against unauthorized manipulation, as well as to protect it during inclement weather.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, we have shown, for example, a mail car 10 of any suitable form, and having at each side a doorway 12 provided with the usual door frame 13. Near the sill of the door, the frame has stubs 14, each carrying an upwardly disposed hinge pin 15. A movable support 16 has the upper and lower bars 17 and 18 provided with extensions having openings, by means of which it is mounted to swing upon the hinge pins 15, so that the support can be pivotally operated within the doorway. The bars 17 and 18 are connected by a substantially vertical member 19, which is secured to the bar 17, near its middle, and to the bar 18, at the outer end thereof, as is shown most clearly in Fig. 6. A spring-controlled catch-bolt 20 is mounted at the end of the bar 17, and is adapted to engage a suitable recess of the door frame, to hold the support in the operative position shown in Fig. 1. It will be understood that the support can be lifted from the hinge pins and moved from one doorway to the other, each of which is provided with the hinge pin stubs 14 for this purpose. The support has, adjacent to the member 19, and near the upper and lower ends thereof, outward bearing extensions 21 in which is journaled a substantially vertical shaft 22. A cradle 23 is secured, by means of hubs 24, to the shaft 22, and is of substantially triangular cross section. It comprises sides 25, a top 26, and a bottom 27. The top 26 has a substantially central cut away part 28 at the outer edge. An arm 29 extends under the top 26, beyond the cut away part 28, and is secured at its inner end upon the shaft 22. It has at the outer extremity a bifurcation 30 into which projects a locking pin or keeper 31, controlled by a spring 32 secured at one side of the arm. The pin 31 passes through a suitable opening 33 in the one side of the bifurcated part of the arm 29, and serves a purpose to appear hereinafter.

The member 19 has a socket 34, in which is movably arranged a stop 35 extending normally through an opening of the member, and having a rounded end adapted to engage a recess 36 formed in the back of the arm 29. A spring 37 normally projects the stop, and is secured in a barrel 38, the end of which is threaded, so that it can be adjustably screwed into the correspondingly threaded end of the socket. By means of the spring-retaining barrel 38, the tension of the spring can be adjusted. It will be understood that when the end of the stop engages in the recess 36, the stop tends to hold the cradle in its normal position, from which it can be displaced if sufficient force is exerted to throw the stop inward against the tension of the spring, and out of engagement with the recess 36.

The mail bag 39, which may be of any suitable form, has secured to the neck thereof, a shank 40, by means of a link 41, or in any other suitable manner. The shank has spaced collars 42 and 43. The latter has rigidly associated therewith, a ring 44 adapted to be received by the catching arm. The shank 40, between the collars 42 and 43, is adapted to be held within the bifurcated part 30 of the arm 29, being resiliently retained in position by the pin or keeper 31. The bag is held within the cradle, as is shown most clearly in Fig. 1, the ring being positioned at right angles to the plane of the support- 16, and in such a manner that, as will appear hereinafter, the receiving arm can pass through it, to remove the bag from the cradle.

We employ a post 45, mounted upon a suitable base 46, for positioning the apparatus adjacent to the railroad track. The post carries adj ustably, a case 47 fashioned from sheet metal or the like, and riveted or bolted to the post, which extends partly into the case. It has mounted thereon a plate or support 48 provided at its ends with two upward extensions 49, one of which has hinge sockets 50 movably receiving hinge extensions 52 of the movable support 51, corresponding to the support 16 of the car, and having, like the support 16, substantially central bearing extensions In these is movably mounted a shaft 54 corresponding to the shaft 22, and having mounted thereon a cradle of substantially triangu lar cross section and comprising sides a top 56, and a bottom 57. The cradle has a bifurcated arm 58 under the top thereof, provided with a spring keeper 59 adapted to hold and operatively position the shank of the mail bag. The bottom 57 of the cradle has at the front edge, an upwardly disposed lip 60, which assists in holding the mail bag in position. The bottom, if so desired, may be provided with openings 61., through which water may run, or snow can escape.

The support 51 has a slot 62 in which is pivotally mounted a latch 63, by means of a pivot pin or rivet 64. The latch is adapted to be received by a locking slot or groove 65 of one of the extensions 49. When the end of the latch is located in the slot 65, the support is held against swinging movement. The shaft 54 has associated therewith, at the upper end, a collar 66 provided with a cam extension 67 adapted to engage at the end of the latch, to depress it, and thereby to displace from the slot the other end of the latch. Consequently, when the cradle is swung in one direction, the latch is displaced to release the support 51 from the corresponding extension et9 of the plate 48.

A cover 68 is movably mounted by means of slots 69, upon the hinge pins 70 located at the lower ends of the sides of the case at. A floor 71 is secured at the bottom of the case, and extends forwardly, having cutaway parts 7 2, for a purpose to appear hereinafter. The cover can be swung upwardly to inclose the front of the case,-and can be locked in a closed position by means of a staple 7 3, which is adapted to cooperate with a suitable latch of the case. When the cover is closed, the cradle must be turned to one side, so that the support 51 can swing inwardly against the back of the case.

Mounted upon the wall of the car and upon the plate 48, are suitable sockets 74 and 75, in which are journaled rods 76. These can be resiliently held in position by a suitable spring keeper device 77. These features are illustrated in the above-referred to patent application. The rods have lateral extensions 78, which carry the oppositely disposed mail-bag receiver proper-see Figs. 2 and 10. These consist of downwardly disposed parts 80, outwardly curved and laterally disposed parts 81, and upwardly offset extensions 82, the extremities of which are preferably outwardly curved. Each arm, further, has at the part 80, a resilient buffer member 83 secured near the upper portion of the part 80, and extending downwardly, being curved into, and corresponding to, the member 81. It will be understood, that, as in the previous forms of mail handling apparatus, the arms receive the rings of the mail bags, which slide along the parts 82 and engage the buffers, sliding into the bends or recesses formed by the parts 80 and 81. By providing a buffer or spring, curved to conform to these parts, the engagement of the ring with these parts is cushioned at all points, and thereby injury to the mail bag is minimized.

The floor, or shelf extension 71 has the cutaway parts positioned to receive the mail bags, which can hang downwardly from the arms, after they are received. The weight of the mail-bag it will be remembered, tends to swing the rods 76, so that the arms are positioned under the rods, and no longer extend laterally therefrom. Before the mail bags are received, the arms are laterally extended with respect to the rods 76, and are held in these positions by the spring-controlled keeper device 77.

The cradle 23 has at the bottom, an outer edge or lip 27, upwardly disposed to assist in retaining the bag in posit-ion. This lip corresponds to the lip 60 of the cradle mounted upon the post. The last1nentioned cradle is provided with a spring stop or keeper 7 8, like the corresponding device used in connection with the cradle 28. It is similar in construction, and also serves to hold the cradle in a normal, operative positlon.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In apparatus of the class described, a mail-bag receiving arm provided with a recess, to adapt it to receive and hold an annular member associated with the bag, and provided at said recess with a resilient member constituting a bufier, and shaped to conform to said recess.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a mail-bag receiving arm having an offset part adapted to receive and hold an annular member associated with a mailbag, and provided at said offset part with a resilient member adapted to be engaged directly by said annular member, said resilient member constituting a buffer and being shaped to conform to said ofiset part of said arm.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a rod having a mail-bag catching arm, said arm having an elongated, substantially straight part, a curved part, and beyond the same a laterally disposed part secured to said rod, whereby said arm is offset from said rod, said arm having associated therewith, at said curved part, a resilient member constituting a buffer bent to conform to said curved part.

4. In apparatus of the class described, a rod having an extension, oppositely-extending, mail-bag catching arms carried by said extension, each of said arms comprising a downwardly-disposed part, a lateral, outwardly curved part, and an upwardly offset, elongated part, said first part having a resilient buffer secured thereto and extending along said laterally curved part and shaped to conform thereto.

5. In apparatus of the class described, a swinging support adapted to be mounted at a doorway of a railroad car, and in a normal position, in the plane of the doorway, and a movable cradle mounted to swing upon said support, and adapted to receive and hold a mail bag for delivery.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a support, a cradle mounted to swing upon said support, and adapted to receive and hold a mail bag for delivery, and a displaceable stop for resiliently holding said cradle against a swinging movement.

7. The combination, with a railroad car having a doorway, of a movable support, means for removably mounting said sup- &

port in said doorway, whereby said support can swing, means for locking said support in position within said doorway, and a cradle mounted to swing upon said support and adapted to receive and hold a mail bag for delivery, said support having means for resiliently holding said cradle against a swinging movement.

8. In apparatus of the class described, a support, a cradle mounted to swing upon said support, a spring-controlled stop adapted to engage said cradle, and tending to hold the same in a normal position, and means within said cradle for operatively positioning and holding the mail bag.

9. In apparatus of the class described, a support, a cradle of substantially triangular cross section mounted to swing upon said support, and having sides, a top, and a bottom, and formed to receive a mail bag, an arm within said cradle, and having a part adapted to hold said mail bag and to position the same for engagement with a mail bag catching arm, and a spring-controlled device for holding said cradle in a normal position.

10. In apparatus of the class described, a support, a vertical shaft journaled upon said support, a cradle carried by said shaft and comprising sides, a top, and a bottom, said top being cut away, an arm extending under said top and having at said cutaway part a bifurcated end, and a spring-pressed keeper associated with said bifurcated end of said arm, said cradle being adapted to receive a mail bag having a part formed for engagement with a mail-bag catching arm, said bifurcated arm serving to position and removably hold said part of the mail bag.

11. In apparatus of the class described, a support, a vertical shaft journaled upon said support, a cradle carried by said shaft and comprising sides, a top, and a bottom, said top being cut away, an arm extending under said top and having at said cutaway part a bifurcated end, a spring-pressed keeper associated with said bifurcated end of said arm, said cradle being adapted to receive a mail bag having a part formed for engagement with a mail-bag catching arm, said bifurcated arm serving to position and removably hold said part of the mail bag, a movable stop carried by said support, said cradle having a part adapted to be engaged by said stop, and an adjustable spring con trolling said stop, whereby said stop serves to hold said cradle resiliently in a normal position.

12. In apparatus of the class described, a support, a swinging cradle mounted upon said support and comprising sides, a top, and a bottom, and formed to receive and hold a mail bag, said bottom of said cradle having an upwardly disposed lip at the edge thereof, and being provided with openings therethrough.

13. In apparatus of the class described, a base, a casing mounted thereon, a swinging support within said casing, a cradle mounted to swing upon said support and adapted to receive and hold a mail bag, and a catch controlled by said cradle for locking said support in a normal position.

14. In apparatus of the class described, a base, a casing mounted thereon, a swinging support within said casing, a cradle mounted to swing upon said support, and adapted to receive and hold a mail bag, a catch c011- trolled by said cradle for locking said support in a normal position when said cradle is in a normal position, means within said cradle for operatively positioning the mail bag, and a cover for said casing.

15. In apparatus of the class described, a base, a casing mounted thereon, a swinging support within said casing, a catch for locking said support in a normal position, and a cradle mounted to swing upon said support and having a cam member adapted to engage said catch to release the same when said cradle swings into a predetermined position.

16. In apparatus of the class described, a post, a casing adjustably mounted upon said post, a plate secured to said post and positioned within said casing, a swinging support mounted upon said plate, a catch carried by said support and adapted to engage said plate to lock said support in position, and a cradle mounted to swing upon said support, and having a cam adapted to engage said catch to release the same when said cradle swings into a predetermined position.

17. In apparatus of the class described, a post, a casing adjustably mounted upon said post, a plate secured to said post and positioned within said casing, a swinging support mounted upon said plate, a catch carried by said support and adapted to engage said plate to lock said support in position, a cradle mounted to swing upon said support, and having a cam adapted to engage said catch to release the same when said cradle swings into a predetermined position, a movable mail-bag catching arm mounted upon said plate, said casing having a floor extending under said plate and said arm and having a cutaway part, and a cover for said casing.

18. In apparatus of the class described, a base, a casing mounted thereon, a supporting member within said casing, and a rotatable rod mounted upon said member and having a mail-bag catching arm, said casing having a floor extending under said arm, and cut away under said arm, whereby a mail bag received by said arm can be de pended below said floor.

19. In apparatus of the class described, a base, a casing mounted thereon, a supporting member within said casing, a rotatable rod mounted upon said member and having a mail-bag catching arm, said casing having a floor extending under said arm, and cut away under said arm, whereby a mail bag received by said arm can be depended below said floor, said casing having a cover, and a cradle mounted to swing within said casing.

20. In apparatus of the class described, a support, a cradle mounted to swing upon said support, a movable stop carried by said support and adapted to engage said cradle to hold the same in a normal position, a spring tending to project said stop toward said cradle, and a movable member con trolling said spring and operable to adjust the tension of said support.

21. In apparatus of the class described, a support, a cradle mounted to swing upon said support, said support having a socket, a stop movably mounted in said socket and projecting from the same to engage said cradle, and tending to hold said cradle in a normal position, a spring engaging said stop, and an adjustable barrel receiving said spring and mounted in said socket, whereby said barrel serves for the adjustment of the tension of said spring.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. HARGRAVES. MILO M. MILLER.

Witnesses:

CHAs. S. DILOHER, EDWARD RUHE. 

